17 Countries
1. Benin
2. Burkina Faso
3. Cape Verde
4. Chad
5. Gambia
6. Ghana
7. Guinea
8. Guinea Bissau
9. Ivory Coast
(Côte d'Ivoire)
10. Liberia
11. Mali
12. Mauritania
13. Niger
14. Nigeria
15. Senegal
16. Sierra Leone
17. Togo
Atlantic Ocean
 Sahel
 Sahara
 Niger River

Senegal
River
 Volta River
 Benue River
 Lake Chad

West Africa
1/5th of Africa
 Sahara
 Sahel
 Western Sudan Forests
 General similarities

Geography
Wetter and more humid than the north
 Sahel

 Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso,
Niger, Chad

Highest point: Mount Cameroon
 The rest of W. Africa only reaches heights of
900 feet above sea level
Four Main Rivers
Senegal River
 Niger River (longest)

 10 countries
 7.5%
Volta River
 Benue River

Lakes

Lake Volta
 Reservoir that has the
largest surface area of any
in the world
 Akosombo Dam
 Ghana

Lake Chad
 Drying up!
Lake
Chad
Lake Chad

Very important







Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria
20 million people
Fishing
Water
Shrank as much as 95% since 1963
Human population expansion
Water Stress
 Overuse of water without being replenished!

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-0302/world/shrinking.lake.chad_1_lakechad-lake-regionlocals?_s=PM:WORLD
Population Density
Highest populations around areas with
abundant rainfall and vegetation
 Slave Trade
 Nigeria

 Most populated country in West Africa
Geography and Climate
History

Five sections
 Prehistory – 12,000 BCE
 Empires!
○ Internal African Empires
 Slavery and European Conquest
 Colonialism
 Post-Colonial Era
Pre-History
Drying of West Africa cut the civilizations
off from each other
 Legends, traditions, stories

 Often unreliable!

Empires
 Ibos
○ Lineage system, family groups, religion
○ Established major economic system
 Benin
Three Trading Kingdoms
Ghana
 Mali
 Songhai

Empires of West Africa
Wolof
 Ghana
 Mali
 Ashanti
 Yoruba
 Kanem-Bornu
 Songhai

Characterization of Kingdoms

No separation of power
 King, counselors, advisors carried out all levels of
government
 Power based on ability to collect revenue and
tribute
○ Sovereignty

Centralized states
 Concentrated in the hands of few people
 City-States
What caused the rise and fall of the West
African Kingdoms?
What makes a kingdom great?
Most of the information that we have
about the early African civilization is
based on oral traditions.
Why should this be so?
What advantages are there to oral history
as compared to written accounts?
What other historical sources might be
found to confirm or dispute oral
accounts?
Natural Resources
Salt
 Gold
 Cloth
 Weapons
 Timber

Ghana on the Map
AD300 to about 1100
Ghana developed in West
Africa between the Niger (NIjhur) and the Gambia Rivers.
The rivers helped Ghana to
grow rich because they were
used to transport goods and
develop trade. Ghana also
collected taxes from traders
who passed through the
kingdom. The people called
their nation Wagadu; we know
it as Ghana --that was the
word for war chief.
The kingdom of Ghana probably
began when several clans of the
Soninke people of west Africa
came together under the
leadership of a great king named
Dinga Cisse.
Ghana had few natural resources
except salt and gold. They were
also very good at making things
from iron. Ghanaian warriors used
iron tipped spears to subdue their
neighbors, who fought with
weapons made of stone, bone, and
wood.
Ghana became a rich and powerful nation,
especially when the camel began to be used
as a source of transport. Ghana relied on
trade and trade was made faster and bigger
with the use of the camel.
THE SILENT TRADE





Salt/gold trade
savanna areas poor
in salt
Sahara, rich in salt.
Taghaza, salt mining
village
traders from there
carried salt to Jenne
and Timbuktu




Silent trade took
place near the Niger
river
Arab traders would
lay slabs of salt in
neat rows
pound on drums and
invite gold
merchants to trade
ride off on camels
Gold/Salt silent trade



Gold merchants
would arrive
leave a fair amount
of gold and withdraw
into hiding
Arabs would return
and if they felt the
gold was a fair
amount they would
take it and leave


If not, they would
beat their drums and
a second round of
trading would begin
both groups
probably wanted to
keep the sources of
their goods a secret.
"The King . . .(wears). . . necklaces round his neck and
bracelets on his forearms and he puts on a high cap
decorated with gold and wrapped in a turban of fine
cotton. He (meets people) in a domed pavilion around
which stand ten horses covered with gold-embroidered
materials…and on his right, are the sons of the (lesser)
kings of his country, wearing splendid garments and their
hair plaited with gold.
At the door of the pavilion are dogs of excellent pedigree.
Round their necks they wear collars of gold and silver,
studded with a number of balls of the same metals.“
– Al-Bakri
What does this quote tell us about life in Ghana?
Islamic
Mosque
in Ghana
blankbluesky.com/ travel/ghana/
After 700 AD, the religion of Islam began to spread over northern Africa.
Muslim warriors came into Ghana and fought with the non-Islamic people
there.
This weakened the great civilization of Ghana. Local warriors then decided to
break away from the power of Ghana and form their own local kingdoms.
This ended many of the trade networks. This eventually weakened the
civilization of Ancient Ghana.
Empire of Mali
1235 Mali emerges as a major kingdom
 Located south of Ghana
 This kingdom became important when
resources became scarce and trade
routes shifted
 This made them wealthy and helped
Mali to obtain more power.

gold earrings
Land of Gold & Griots
A griot of today
Sundiata: The Lion King

Prince of the Mandinka people,
who were conquered by Susu

In 1230, he conquered the Susu
people

Ruled from 1230-1255

Under Sundiata, Mali prospered
 He led the people in conquering and
expanding his kingdom to be as great
as Ghana had been.
Perhaps the greatest king
of Mali was Mansa Musa
(1312-1337). He
developed the gold and
salt trade of Mali and his
kingdom became very
powerful and rich.
Mansa Musa
MiniFact: Mansa means Emperor or
King

Several kings ruled after
Sundiata’s death

Mansa Musa was
grandson of Sundiata’s
half brother

He became the greatest
king of Mali in 1312

Under Mansa Musa,
Mali became a great
trading center
Mansa Musa was a Muslim and built many
beautiful mosques or Islamic temples in western
Africa.
This is the mosque at Djenne
in Mali. It’s built of mud!
The Hajj
Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim
 Muslims must make a journey to Mecca called
a ‘hajj’
 Mansa Musa crossed Africa to reach Mecca
 He took a huge caravan with him in 1324
 60,000 servants and followers and 80
camels carrying more than 4,000 pounds of
gold to be distributed among the poor. Of
the 12,000 servants 500 carried a staff of
pure gold.


After that, everyone knew about the wealth of
Mali
Mali
Five times larger than Ghana!
 Niger and Senegal Rivers
 Gold and Salt
 Trade routes through Middle East, Europe
and Asia
 Niani – capital
 Timbuktu – major city

Timbuktu

A very important city
in Mali
 Center of learning for
Muslims
 Universities and
schools
 Largest trading
center in Mali
 On the Niger River
○ Trade
○ Food
○ Washing
Timbuktu
19th century traders in
Timbuktu
What did Mali trade?

Gold
The dotted
lines are
trade
routes from
Mali to other
parts of
Africa
What else did they trade?
Camels, the ships of the desert, traveled in caravans
bringing to Mali:
 Salt
 Copper
 Ivory
 Cloth
 Kola
Nuts
 Slaves
 Books
 Shells
MiniFact: This was before Columbus even sailed to
the New World!
Why was Salt Important?

The man
is holding
a slab of
salt
mined
recently
near
Timbuktu




Mali often traded its
gold for salt
Salt was sometimes
more valuable than
gold!
People’s bodies need
salt to live
 In the desert heat,
salt is lost through
perspiration
Salt was used to
preserve food
Salt was brought in
large slabs (coins)
Mali Ancient Religion


Animistic
Spirit of the Land
 Increase the growth and quality of the crops.
 Still followed by Mali people.

They believed that the chief of the village had direct contact
with the spirit
 The leader of the village was the secular religious head of the
community.



They believed through this connection that the land would
always provide them enough food and resources to trade
Slowly and gradually, Islam became the dominant religion of
the country.
Several Islamic universities started being established
throughout the country and Islam became an integral part of
culture, education and trade.
The Griots




This is a 19th century griot of
Mali with his instrument

Storytellers were
called Griots or djeli
They were important
people in Mali
They told the land’s
history
Most of what we
know about ancient
Mali came from the
storytellers
They were advisors
to the kings
Griots
Storytelling
 Call and Response

 Musical phrases
Sound Effects
 Pantomime
 Scenery/Props

When Mansa Musa died there were no kings as powerful as
he was to follow. The great kingdom of Mali weakened.
Eventually a group of people known as Berbers came into
the area and other people came up from the south to claim
territory that was once part of the kingdom. Although Mali
fell, another advanced African kingdom took its place, the
kingdom of Songhai.
The Berbers still live
in North Africa. This
picture, taken in
1893, shows a
Berber group.
Sunni Ali saw that the kingdom of Mali was weakening and
he led his soldiers to conquer the area.
He began the kingdom of Songhai. He also set up a
complex government to rule all the lands he had conquered.
Sunni Ali died in 1492 CE.
His son took over the rule
of Songhai but he did not
accept Islam as a religion.
One of Sunni Ali’s generals,
named Muhammad Ture,
overthrew the new king and
made himself king of
Songhai. Ture was a
follower of Islam (Muslim)
and so he made Islam the
religion of his kingdom.
This is a photo of a mosque in
western Africa. Many mosques
were built of local materials.
Mosques

Bobo
Dioulasso
Songhai remained a rich and
strong kingdom under
Muhammad Ture’s rule. It
had a complex government
centered in the city of Gao,
and great centers of
learning. But later rulers
were not as powerful.
In the late 1500s, Morocco
invaded Songhai to take its
rich trade routes. Moroccans
had a new weapon, the gun,
and the army of Songhai did
not. This led to the fall of
Songhai.
Moroccans
Sunni Ali
 Askia Muhammed continued spread of Islam
 Judar Pasha – led Moroccans to victory
 Guns, Germs, and Religion

 Guns
 Malaria
 Islam
This map was
created in 1375.
The same trade
routes were used
by the merchants of
the Songhai
kingdom.
What kinds of
pictures do you see
on the map and
why do you think
the mapmaker put
them there?
All three
kingdoms of
West Africa
relied on
trade for
their
strength and
wealth.
Silk, Ceramics, Beads, Islam
from Europe and Asia
Salt
Timbukt
Gao
u
Jenn
e
Gold, Ivory, Wood, Slaves
Coming into West Africa
Coming from Africa and going
to Europe and Asia
Three Trading Empires


Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Ghana - AD 800

 Conquered Ghana
 Sundiata
○ Warrior king
 Trade routes across
Sahara
 Gold and salt

 Mansa Musa
○ Economics and Trade
“Ghana” or war chief
 Traders began to refer to
1235 – Mali

the area as “Ghana”
Around 1400, Songhai
replaced Mali
 Sunni Ali

1591, Moroccan army
invades
Colonialism

1472 – Portuguese
 Trade route to India
 Encountered Benin empire

Pepper, ivory, timber, gold, slaves
 Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, Slave Coast

Niger River
 Slavery
 14-24 million slaves

Nigeria
Slavery

Europeans transported slaves over long
distances under inhumane conditions
 Slaves in Africa had well-defined
rights/privileges
 Slaves in European societies had little to no
rights.

European slavery affected four continents
and lasted for centuries!
 Europe, Africa, North America, South America
Slavery

Slave trade began on the Atlantic side of
Africa
 Goree Island (20 million slaves)
House system
 Caused warfare between tribes
 Age of Enlightenment

 Question of natural rights of man
 Somersett v. Knowles (1772)
 An Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations by Adam
Smith (1776)

1807 – Slave trade illegal for British Empire
Relations with Europe after Slavery
European countries began to make treaties
with chiefs NOT to provide slaves
 Three strategies

 Attempted to substitute goods from Africa
 Took over parts of Africa to get the goods
 Sent in missionaries to “Westernize” Africa

Franco-Prussian War of 1870
 “Scramble for Africa”
European Imperialism
What is imperialism?
 What is a major reason a country would
want to colonize another?

Imperialism: foreign government governs a
territory without significant settlement; Formation
of an empire
Colonialism: exploiting the resources of the
conquered country for the benefit of the conqueror
with significant settlement
Return to Colonialism
Imperialism
 Colonialism

Goods, not people
 Establish political control
 “Indirect Rule”

 “Chiefs”
Chiefs

Musa Mburi — a village elder — remembered,
 Before the coming of Europeans we had no chiefs, but
when they came they installed chiefs. When they waged
wars against any village, the person that stayed behind
and did not run away was installed the chief.

Another elder recalled,
 When asked who was their Chief, the people sometimes
put forward a man who was the most important man in
their village; sometimes (most often) they just looked
blank; and sometimes they put forward the village idiot, to
see what happened to him.

The new chiefs became rich and powerful but, for
the average native, colonialism brought forced
labor, the loss of land, and taxation.
Involvement in World Wars

World War I
 Nigeria

“World War I awakened the political consciousness
of colonial people”
○ Ideas of liberty and freedom

1918, the first Pan-African Congress issued a
resolution:
 The natives of Africa must have the right to participate in
the government as fast as their development permits, in
conformity with the principle that the government exists
for the natives, and not the natives for the government.
Colonial Relations

Great Depression
 Really hurt Africa!

World War II
 Nigerians were called to support Great Britain

Atlantic Charter (FDR and Winston Churchill)
 “the right of all peoples to choose the form of
government under which they will live.”
Nigerian Trades Union Congress
 October 1, 1970

 Political Crisis
Legacy of Colonization
Political Instability
 Modern Borders

 No consideration for ethnic/linguistic groups
Nigeria
Religions
Islam
 Christianity (Nigeria, Ghana)
 Indigenous Religious
influence (syncretism)

 Allegiance to clan’s god
African traditional religion
 Griot

 West African historian
 Poet, praise-singer, musician

Great Mosque of Djenne
Games/Sports/Music


Oware
Soccer
 World Cup!

Genres
 Mbalax
○ Jazz, soul, rock
 Highlife
 Fuji
 Afrobeat




Kente
Boubou – attire
Djembe drum
Kora
 Harp-lute
West Africa Today: ECOWAS

Economic Community of West African
States
 All countries except Mauritania

Treaty of Lagos
 Promote region’s economy

West African Monetary Union
Stateless Societies
Whereas old kingdoms were centralized,
today many countries are decentralized
 Decentralization ruled by elders

 “Democracies of age”

Igbo of Southeast Nigeria
Problems of West Africa

Sierra Leone
 31% literacy rate
 Civil wars

Ghana
 Economic
Map Review
Porto Novo, Benin
 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
 Praia, Cape Verde
 N’Djamena, Chad
 Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire
 Banjul, Gambia
 Accra, Ghana
 Conakry, Guinea
 Bissau Guinea-Bissau

Monrovia, Liberia
 Bamako, Mali
 Nouakchott, Mauritania
 Niamey, Niger
 Abuja, Nigeria
 Dakar, Senegal
 Freetown, Sierra Leone
 Lomé, Togo

Map Review